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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah limits civil and criminal liability for greenhouse gas emissions
Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Carl Albrecht and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah law now shields individuals and businesses from civil or criminal liability for climate-related damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions unless a plaintiff proves the defendant violated a specific state emission limit or permit. The measure removes the prior requirement that a defendant must reside or do business in Utah to qualify for this limited liability, and takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Plaintiffs suing for climate-related damages face a higher legal bar because they must prove a direct violation of specific state or federal permit limits by , while potential defendants gain broader legal protections regardless of where they are located.
- State legislatures frequently introduce tort reform and liability limitation measures to clarify the legal exposure of businesses operating within their jurisdictions. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
individuals and businesses emitting greenhouse gases
They receive protection from civil and criminal liability for climate-related damages unless specific permit or statutory violations are proven.
plaintiffs seeking damages related to climate effects
They must meet a higher legal standard of clear and convincing evidence regarding specific statutory or permit violations to pursue climate-related claims.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a plaintiff need to prove to hold someone liable for greenhouse gas emissions under this law?
Does a business need to be located in Utah to qualify for this liability protection?
When does this new law go into effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
44 actions- Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 10, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 10, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 38 earlier actions
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 19, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 19, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 13, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 10, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Jan 30, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0222S01
- Jan 30, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0222S01
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Jan 29, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0222S01
- Jan 29, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0222S01
- Jan 28, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 17, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0222
- Jan 17, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0222
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0222
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0222
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Liability Protections Across Jurisdictions
By removing the requirement that a person must reside or do business in Utah, the bill extends legal shields to out-of-state entities regarding climate-related claims originating within the state.
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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